Botox Injections Information

For some time now there has been a great deal of fuss over people getting Botox injections for everything from a sagging chin to a droopy eyelid; before you use this substance it could be worth dispelling a few myths that are attached. In order to appreciate just what this is we need a brief history lesson into its discovery, quite a while ago now. The substance is derived from Botulinum toxin, discovered nearly five decades ago; it was used to treat patients with neurological problems.

A few decades later after much research, the FDA granted permission for it to be used medically and the first patients to make use of the drug were those with eye conditions; these included blepharospasm (uncontrollable blinking), strabismus (crossed eyes) and even wrinkles. In the year 2000 was given the all clear for the of treatment cervical dystonia. it was found to be effective at helping patients with neck and shoulder contractions but other eye disorders were included at the same time. In all the research that was going on with botox, doctors had found that it was effective at reducing frown lines around the eyebrow area; after this in 2002 the FDA approved it’s use on the condition that it was a cosmetic procedure.

Botox has a paralyzing affect when it is injected into areas of the forehead which control the muscles that cause frowning; in time frown lines gradually soften and subside if sufficient treatments are given. The lines will to the casual observer, disappear but the same process can now be used on laughter lines around the eyes and forehead lines as well. The injections are a purified and watered down version of the sometimes fatal Botulinum poison; if it were not for the purification process this treatment could make us very sick.

This popularity is due to the fact that we all have wrinkles and lines (increasing with age) when we smile, laugh and make other facial movements which are the result of muscles in the face. After years of making these expressions the wear and tear on your face begins to be noticeable and the lines start to become permanent; many cosmetic manufacturers have tried to create creams to eliminate the creases but this is the only treatment to date that can actually rid them from us. Botox paralyzes the facial muscles which means everyday expressions we use in communication and take for granted cannot be made; people who have regular treatment often look as though they are dummies because they cannot smile properly or make other facial gestures that we tend to rely on.

A person who has undergone this treatment still has enough movement to provide some expressions but they are limited; because most of the wrinkles and creases have all but disappeared, it appears that the person is younger than their true years. However, this cosmetic treatment is still expensive; this is why it has been coined as something only celebrities have performed because the least expensive injection can still cost upwards of 300 dollars to in excess of 1,000 dollars. Whether there are any long term effects from continued use of botox is still unknown as the treatment is still to new but for those people who do use it, it doesn’t seem to matter.